Making Risotto The Simple Way

 

I’ve always deemed risotto to be a really fancy dish and in some ways it is. I never thought I’d try making risotto at home but one day I did and it turned out to be pretty good. So let’s try making risotto the simple way, shall we? These are mostly ingredients that will be easily found at home. Risotto is usually made with Arborio rice; I substituted that for glutinous rice or taichin rice because it is starchier and well I didn’t know if that kind of Arborio rice is available here.

Here is what you will need (for one serving)

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup short grained rice

2 cups chicken stock

4-5 mushrooms thinly sliced

1 small onion diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons of butter

Salt as per taste

Pepper as taste

Lemon juice

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Instructions

1. Set your pot over medium heat on the stove and splash in 2 tablespoons of oil in there. Use a tall pot. It works best for you will keep on adding the liquid
2. When the oil has heated, you want to throw in your diced onion in there and give it a good stir.
3. Once your onions start to become translucent; add in your mushrooms and butter. Give it a good mix.
4. In a separate pot, you want to heat up some chicken stock. You can either use chicken stock from well boiling some chicken or you can add in some Knorr Chicken Cubes to about 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Pick whichever works best for you.
5. When the butter has melted, add in your garlic. It should already start smelling heavenly at this point.
6. While your mushrooms, butter and garlic and onions are incorporating in the pot, wash your rice. Then add it to the pot. Mix in the rice as they form a beautiful combination.
7. Splash in the lemon juice of half a lemon.
8. Add salt and pepper as per taste.
9. After about half a minute, take your chicken stock and slowly add in the liquid in portions. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the rice and give it a mix.
10. Keep doing this, adding in just enough stock to cover the rice when the rice has absorbed the stock.
11. When your stock has almost finished, after about 20 mins, check to see the rice; it should be al dente. The rice should be cooked with a little bit of bite into it.

You can serve with grated cheese and chopped up cilantro.